In the middle of running a business, teaching and going to school, my wife and I welcomed our first child, a son, to our home.  I have found in the first few weeks of his life, that my focus in the kitchen has been razor sharp.  I am planning meals for us, as I would a client.  I am baking and canning, shopping and storing, organizing and cleaning.  It is cooking with a purpose…to allow my wife the well deserved time away from worrying about what’s for dinner.  Tonight, simply baking a loaf of bread to go with our lentil soup seemed to brighten her day and let her forget, if only for a moment, that she is exhausted.

I moved my garden, this year, to an area that gets more sun. It is no secret I am beyond frustrated growing tomatoes in the Northwest, but I am hoping that this new, humble garden will do the trick. I have some Anaheim peppers that are budding and showing fruit already! This may be my only hope. No….there is another. The lavender and other herbs I put in are sure to save my garden universe.

Three weeks ago I began a journey around Spain that was a year in the making. I toured numerous wineries and was immersed in Spanish cuisine and culture. In the coming weeks, and in all likelihood months, I will describe as best I can the culinary trip of a lifetime. I have over 1300 photographs to disseminate and I am diligently re-reading my journal and reviewing the itinerary to get every last detail. Stay tuned…

Here is my second article written for the Culinary Business Academy newsletter.

When beginning to pair food and wine together, it is important to lay a foundation of general knowledge as it pertains to grape varieties.  The easiest way to do this, in my opinion, is to begin with what are called “The Noble Six”.

The Noble varieties are so named since they are the most commonly planted varieties and the standard by which all grapes are grown and fine wine is made.  These six varieties are Sauvignon Blanc [SOH-vihn-YOHN BLAHNK], Chardonnay [SHAR-dun-nay], Riesling [REEZ-ling], Pinot Noir [PEE-noh-NWAHR], Merlot [mehr-LOH], and Cabernet Sauvignon [KAB-er-nay SOH-vin-NYOHN].  Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling are all white grapes and Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are all red grape varietals.  Both these red and white grape varietals make wines that have general aromas and flavors.  Knowing these generalities will assist you in knowing which wine to pair with your food.

Sauvignon Blancs are known for their citrusy and herbal aromas and flavors and are best paired with lean poultry, lean finfish and fresh goats cheese.  Chardonnay can be a tricky because you will need to know if they are oaked or un-oaked.  Old world varietals are usually lightly oaked, or un-oaked making them very food friendly.  With aromas and flavors resembling apples and pears, they go very well with lean poultry and pasta dishes with cream based sauces.  Oaky, New World Chardonnay (think California), go very well with butter sauces and rich seafood such as crab and lobster.  Then there are Rieslings, known for their rich honey and citrus notes, as well as their tendency to taste like dried apricots.  Rieslings can also have a lot of minerality making them a great pairing for pork, game birds, sushi and blue-veined cheeses.

Moving on to the reds, Pinot Noir, which is one of the most food friendly wines since it is fruit forward with good, balanced acid and medium tannins (the astringency in grapes), is known to be lush, fruit forward (resembling cherries and cranberries) and very earthy.  Pinot lends itself to be a great partner to mushroom risotto, Boeuf Bourguignon and braised lamb.  Merlot, a varietal known for its plum notes as well as having a vegetal quality goes very well with roasted or grilled meats, pizza and skin-on roasted poultry.  And lastly, Cabernet Sauvignon.  Similar in aroma and flavor to Merlot, there are also some subtle hints of black olive and eucalyptus.  These qualities make it a great match for meats done in robust cooking methods, and blue-veined cheeses.

Keeping these general, broad-stroke descriptions in mind will enable you to make a better pairing for all of your food.  Remember that wine can be the final sauce an accentuation of the flavors of your cuisine.

In the next issue…Classic Pairings and Gastronomic Identity.

Paying a little extra at my neighborhood produce stand for organically grown, fresh, local produce is little more than a reflex for me these days.  It isn’t even debatable.  Eating fresh and high quality produce will not only make your cooking that much better, it will make your HEALTH that much better.  Local produce stands will be willing to negotiate pricing with you if you buy things in bulk.  This will assist you with your canning projects and bulk storage needs.  Eating more local fruits and vegetables will also assist your local economy and keep local farmers in business to provide even more quality produce for your area.  Eat fresh, Eat Local!!!